Chrysanthemum plant named Cumbia

#The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora, and referred to by the cultivar name Cumbia.

#Cumbia, identified as 2495 (87-505001), was originated from a cross made by Cornelis P. VandenBerg in a controlled breeding program in Salinas, Calif., in July 1986.

#The female parent of Cumbia was an unnamed seedling, identified as 6031 (82-J20111), and described as a red-bronze spooned daisy cut spray mum having a flowering response to short days of 60 to 63 days when grown in Salinas, Calif., and 72 to 84 days when grown in Bogota, Colombia; a plant height of 86 to 114 cm when grown with 14 long days prior to start of short days in Salinas, Calif., and 112 to 137 cm with 14 long days prior to start of short days when grown in Bogota, Colombia; and a diameter of capitulum of 70 to 76 mm. The female parent was discarded from all trials flowering programs in February 1986, and was discarded completely after completion of the seed production program which eventually led to the discovery and selection of Cumbia.

#The accompanying photographic drawings show typical inflorescence and leaf characteristics of Cumbia, with the colors being as nearly true as possible with illustrations of this type.

#Sheet 1 is a color photograph of Cumbia grown as a single stem spray cut mum in Salinas, Calif.

#Sheet 2 is a black and white photograph of three views of the inflorescence of Cumbia.

#Of the commercial cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar to comparison to Cumbia is the cultivar identified as Accent, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,945. Reference is made to attached Chart A, which compares certain characteristics of Cumbia to the same characteristics of Accent.

#Similar traits are ray floret color (although the color of Cumbia is slightly darker than the color of Accent), capitulum form and type, flowering response to short days when grown in Salinas, Calif., and spray formation. Cumbia has a much larger diameter of capitulum when compared with Accent, much more vigor, and longer peduncles. The low vigor of Accent requires at least 14 long days prior to start of short days to obtain a commercially acceptable height, while Cumbia only requires 6 to 7 days or less to obtain acceptable plant height. Accent has a very poor low night temperature tolerance and can not be grown commercially under the environmental conditions of Bogota, Colombia, while Cumbia has excellent tolerance to the Bogota low night temperatures.

#When compared with both parents, Cumbia has a significantly faster flowering response in Colombia than either parent. In addition, both parents were discarded from all programs because of overall unsatisfactory performance worldwide, while the overall performance of Cumbia in the USA and Colombia warrants commercial introduction.